Machine for cutting holes



Dec. 27, 1927. v 1,653,622

E. P. ENGLEsBE MACHINE FOR CUTTING HOLES 60` i v A.- 17 47 Dec. 27, 1927a E. P. ENGLESBE MACHINE FOR CUTTING HOLES Filed Jan. 27, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 reused Dec. 27, 1927.

.iu-siren STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING HOLES.

Application led January 27, 1922. Serial No. 532,321.

This invention relates to'pressurecontaim ers such steam 'boilers and has for its more important objects to fprovide a novel form of hand hole cover and a machine for cutting or reaming hand holesadapted lto receive such'coves to forman reffective seal.

@ther objects and advantages will appear as the-invention-is hereinafter disclosed. M

"Referring to the drawings, which l illustrate what I nowconsider preferred forms of theinvention 1 is 'a longitudinal sectional 'view taken on -a plane including substantially the minor 'axis of the cutting or reaming machine. I

Fig. Q-is a longitudinal lview partly in section on a plane through the major axis of the machine.

`Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating one of thevelements 'shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line Ll-el of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. G is a section taken substantially on the line'G-G of Fig. 1. Y

7 is a detail view partly in section illustrating a different yform of cutting tool.

' trated the header 10, of a steam boiler, which supports the boiler tubes5 one of which is shown at 11. `A second header 12 spaced.

from the header 1O-and from the'end of 'the be contained in the tubes and in the space between the headers 10. 12. An openin'gor hand hole 13 is provided in the header 12 whereby access Amay be had to the interior of the tube 11 from the exterior of the boiler.

I prefer to make these hand holes oval or elliptical in shape, although it will'be underent forms oi Referring to the drawings, I have illus*V tubes. Obviously7 fluid under pressure will f the seal will depend in alargefmeasurefupon the accuracy with which ,the hole 13is cut or reamed. TWhile other specifically d-ilfermachines maybe employed for cutting or reaming vthe hand-holes, I .prefer present to .employ the machine shown `in lFigs. 1 to G,V since lthis^machinemay not only he .employed 'to'.shape the hand vholesbefore the boiler ris; assembled but also after r`the boiler is assembled. This machine'may lbe constructed substantially .as follows.

One ormore, in the .presentcase four, tool holders 16 are mounted Vfory revolution about the longitudinal axis of the machine, andvfor radial movement with respect to said axis. This mounting maybe effected by constructing each Vtool holder 16 in the form of a rectangular 'hollow prism, as shown, and-slidably mounting each yof the samein a corresponding on'e of theopenings 17 of the four arm carriage 18. The latter has a hub ,portion 1 9 to which a .gear 20 Vis'secured. The gear 20 meshes with and is adapted to be driven by apinion 2l secured to avshaft'QQ, suitably journaled -in aybearing .24. The shaft 2Q also has secured thereto a gearQS vwhich is adapted to be coupled to and driven by `anysuitable driving means or Asource of -So power, not shown.

Each of the tool holders 1.5 is adapted to receive a. cutting tool 25 which may be adjusted radially'by means of adjusting screws 2Gi each screwed into the base of a corresponding one of the tool holders. And ieach of the cutting tools may be releasably held inadjusted radial position, with respect yto its yrespective tool holder, by 'virtue ofthe set ,screws 27.

Means are provided for causing the tool holders 16 to pursue such a path in ltheir revolution as to cause the tools Q5 to cut or form the desired shape of hole. In the present illustration the tool holders are to move inan oval or elliptical path or orbit and the means for causing them to pursue such path may be constructed substantially as follows.

. A pair of relatively stationary cams 28 arerprovided. These cams are each generally elliptical in shape as shown in Fig. 5. Each of the tool holders 16 has secured thereto a pair of longitudinally and oppoistelyjextending shafts 29, upon each of which a roller 8O is mounted. The rollers 80 are each adapted to engage the periphery ot' one or the other ot the cams 28. Closed helical springs 81 surrounding the group of four shafts 29 and seated in suitable grooves in the same, as shown, serve to maintain or aid in maintaining the rollers 8 in contact with the cams 28. By virtue ot the structure thus far described, assuming that the cams 28 are held stationary, revolution ol: the carriage 18 will cause the tools 25 to pursue a path (illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4) corresponding to the desired shape 'ot hand hole.

I also provide means for moving the tool holders 16, and the tools carried thereby, radially while they are being revolved. l prefer to etlect this movement by movement of 'the cams 28 toward and away trom each other and to provide means for sol moving the cams. The peripheries ot the cams 28 are each shown as converging in an axial direction and each converging in a direction opposite to that oi the other. In other words, in the present illustration, the peripheries of the cams are, generally saealring, frustrums of elliptical coneswith their smaller bases toward each other. Speaking more accurately, the peripheral surface oteach cam is that generated by a hline inclined with respect to the longitudinalI aXis of the machine and so moving asalways to lie in the plane ol the said axis and always to be in contact with what may be termed the pitch line et the cam. The rollers 30 are correspondingly shaped, i. e., each roller is a lirustrum ot a circular right cone so designed that, in its orbital movement, it will always engage the periphery ot a corresponding one'of the cams 28 by a line contact. The eams`28 are permitted to move axiallyY with relation to 'each other but are constrained against relative rotation with respect to each other by virtue of the laterally extending tongues 35, provided on one oi' vsaid cams and ei;- tending into corresponding notches 38 provided in the hub ot the other cam. The means for moving the cams 28 axially toward and away from each other will now be described. The hollow hubs of each of the cams are internally screw-threaded to coo erate with the screw threads 38 3f) rovid-eden the exterior otl a cylindrical member 40. @ne of the sets ot threads 88, 89, and its cooperating threads on the corresponding cam hub, are right handed threads, while the other and 'its cooperating threads on the other cam hub are lett handed (see Fig. A hand wheel or other suitable operating member 41 is provided upon the member A40 for rotating the latter with respect to the cams 28. By turning the hand wheel 41 with respect to the cams 28, in one direction or the other, the camsk will be caused to approach or move away from each other, dependent upon the direction of rotation of the hand wheel. Obviously, when the cams 28 approach each other, the tool holders 16 and tools carried thereby are forced radially outward and when the cams move away from each other, the springs 31 cause the tool holders and tools to move radially. inward.

Means are provided for positioning the machine with respect to the work piece and for releasahly holding it in such position. Before describing .the form ot such means now preferred l wish to vdescribe the operation of the machine when cutting tools ot the general type shown at 25a in Fig. 7 are employed. Let it therefore be assumed (it will hereinafter positively be disclosed) that means are provided for correctly positioning the machine in a roughed out opening` 13 in the work piece, and for holding `the ma'- chine in such position, so that the cams 28 will be constrained against rotation, and against axial movement except by manipulation ol the hand wheel 41. AThe carriage 18 is rotated, as previously described, and the hand wheel 41 so turned as to cause the tools 252L to engage and cut or ream the peripheral tace of the hole 1.3. lVhile'revolving the cut by the tools may be. deepcned by turning the hand wheel in the proper direction, at the proper times, until the desired shape o handV hole is attained.

rlhe cutting tools 25a may then be retracted,

by reverse operation of the hand wheel 41 the machine stopped, and removed trom the tinished opening 18.

Instead of employing the flat edged tools K 25Il it may be preferable to employ comparatively pointed tools such as those shown at in Figs. l, 2 and 4. For this purpose means are provided simultaneously to move the cutting tools radially andv axialy to et'- 't'ect the desired cut. vOne vform of such means, together with a` `'l'orm ot means tor positioning and holding the machine in correct position, are shown in ltigs. 1, 2 and 6.

and may be constructed substantially as fol- Y lows.

rlhe member 40 is constructed in the form of a sleeve and is rotatably and slidably mounted upon a rod 45 having at lone end a tapered thread 48 and'at the other a nut 47, for a purposehereinafter disclosed. A sleeve or tubular member 48 is slidably and rotatably adjustable upon the rod 45 yand may be releasably held in adjust-ed position by means of a set screw 51. It will be noted that the sleeve is eiteriorly screwthreadedto cooperate with the Vinternal threads of the sleeve or hub o a hand wheel 50, these cooperating screw threadsY being designated 49. The hub of the wheel 50 eX- tends into the hollow hub of the wheel 4l,

* Y .Lees-3,1922

annular slot lVhen the machine .is to be employed for the purpose set forth above, the .following positioning and supporting means may be employed.

A pluralityof, in the instant illustration four, sectors 55 are provided. These are of l such shape and design as to form a disk Lal Cil

insertable into the tube 11, when the sectors are in inner radial positions, and to grip the inner face of the tube tightly when the said sectors are forced radially outward. Dowel pins 56 and cooperating pin receiving slots or openings 57 may be provided upon the sectors to hold or aid in holding the latter in assembled posit-ion. The disk formed by the sectors 55 is provided with a central, in-

ternally threaded, tapered opening 58 adapt-l ed to receive the screw-threaded end 46 ofV the rod 45. The design is such that upon rotation of the rod 45, in one direction or the other, the sectors 55 will be forced radially outward or permitted to move radially inward, depending upon the direction of said rod. Each of the sectors 55 is shown provided with a radial slot 59 adapted to receive the shank of a corresponding one of a plurality of bolts 60, these bolts being adapted to screw into suitably tapped openings in the left hand cam 28. The various sectors 55 are biased to inner radial positions by means of a spring band 65 mounted in a peripheral groove 66 in said sectors.

The design of the threads 38, 39 and 49 and of the rollers and peripheries of cams 28, is such that when the wheels 41 and 50 are rotated in unison the tools will be moved radially and axially in such proportionate amounts as to effect the desired slope of cutin the bounding face or periphery of the hand hole. Releasable means i are provided for causing either of the hand wheels 41 and 50 to rotate in unison with the other upon actuation' of either of said wheels. This means may assume the form of a manually releasable pin V75 slidably mounted in a suitable opening' in the hub or web of the hand wheel 41 and biased toward the other hand wheel 5() by a compression spring 76. The end 77 of the pin is adapted to enter any one of an annular series of holes provided in the web of the hand wheel so that the two hand wheels `may be releasably locked together in various positions of adjustment. The machine shown in Figs. 1 to 6 is designed to operate substantially as follows.

The machine, including the sectors and bolts 60, is inserted through the hole 13 to be cut or reamed, after the tool holders 16 and sectors 55 have been set to their in nermost radial positions.A The: disk-form- Ving sectors 5,5 yare inserted Kinto-the tube 11. .The machine is thenfbodily turned about-its longitudinal airis until lthemajor axes of the jcains 28 lie inthe kplane of the major axis of .thefdesired -inal formrof hand Vlio-le.` The nut 47 :is fthen turned to cause the threaded end 46 of the rod 45 to spread the sectors 55 and to cause them to grip the inner surface of the tube firmly and securely. The machine is now correctly centered and positioned and will be eHectively held in such position. It will be noted that the bolts now prevent any rotation of the cams 28. The set screw 51 may then be backed off,f the entire structure supported bythe rod 45 moved axially to adjust the plane of the cutting tools generally at the desired osit-ion, and the set screw 51 tightened. y this operation the tools may be caused to assume the position vsubstantially as shown in Fig. 1. The carriage 18 is now rotated in the proper direction by the driving means including gears 20, 21 and 23, the pin 75 retracted, and the hand wheel 41 rot-ated to adjust the tools 25 radially for the desired depth of cut. (The hand wheel 50 is heldV stationary during this last described adjustment.) The pin 75 is now released and entered into the nearest hole 78 to lock the hand wheels 41 and 50 together. Upon manual rotation of either hand wheel in the proper direction, both of the hand wheels will rotate in unison to force the cutting tools 25 radially outward, and simultaneously to move them axially by virtue of the threads 49. The .desired sloping cut is thereby effected. After the iirst cut, any subsequent cut including the iinal one may be effected in a manner now obvious in view of the foregoing description. Y

After the hand hole is finished the rotation of the carriage 18 is stopped, the pin 75 is retracted, the tools are moved radially inward by means of the wheel 41, the nut 47 is turned to unscrew the end 46 of the rod 45 and the machine is removed from the work.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiments thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus disclosed is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also while it is designed to use the What I claim is- A machine for cutting hand holes in plates and comprising in combination, a tool holder, means for revolving said tool holder,

5 means including two cams for causing said tool holder to pursue a predetermined path in its revolution, means for moving said y cams toward each` other, and means for causf said tool holder to'movein a radial direction by movement of vsaid cams toward -eaoh 10 other.

In testimony whereof I hereto afix my signature.

EARL P. ENGLESBE; 

